Ivory Coast of the North

Published time: 28 Aug, 2006 20:00 Edited time: 29 Aug, 2006 00:00

Meet the creative people from Uelen, a coastal settlement in Chukotka where the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Strait meet. See the beautiful art of carving and find out how to create a masterpiece. To carve a figurine, a walrus tusk needs to be cut into small pieces, as a basis for a figurine. Then, any rough edges are smoothed down and it takes on an initial shape. A drill is used to finish the piece. From generation to generation, the composition of the figurines has become increasingly complicated. Despite this, the Uelen people continue to work without rough sketches. It’s their innate talent and artistic flair which enables them to see the finished piece before they even start the work.